diff --git a/buffer.go b/buffer.go
index 4723a6a..afdb3ea 100644
--- a/buffer.go
+++ b/buffer.go
@@ -123,6 +123,9 @@ func (b *Buffer) Len() int {
 //	buffer := NewBuffer(4)
 //	if buffer.IsFreed() { ... }
 func (b *Buffer) IsFreed() bool {
+	if b == nil {
+		return true
+	}
 	return b.freed.Load()
 }
 
diff --git a/buffer_test.go b/buffer_test.go
index df084cb..f45267b 100644
--- a/buffer_test.go
+++ b/buffer_test.go
@@ -71,6 +71,15 @@ func TestBufferUseAfterFreePanics(t *testing.T) {
 	})
 }
 
+func TestBufferIsFreedIsNilSafe(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	var nilBuffer *Buffer
+	if !nilBuffer.IsFreed() {
+		t.Fatal("expected nil buffer to report freed")
+	}
+}
+
 func TestCStringRoundTrip(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Parallel()